JP4926242B2 - Functionally redundant method and system for quality of service - Google Patents

Description

  The techniques disclosed herein generally relate to communication networks. In particular, the technology disclosed herein relates to a quality of service protocol filtering system and method.

  Communication networks are used in various environments. Typically, a communication network includes two or more nodes connected by one or more links. In general, communication networks are used to support communication between two or more participating nodes on a link and intermediate nodes of the communication network. There may be many types of nodes in the network. For example, the network may include nodes such as clients, servers, workstations, switches, and / or routers. For example, the link may be a modem connection over a telephone line, wiring, an Ethernet link, an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) line, a satellite link, and / or a fiber optic cable.

  Indeed, the communication network may consist of one or more small communication networks. For example, the Internet is often described as a network of interconnected computer networks. Each network may utilize a different architecture and / or topology. For example, one network may be a star topology switched Ethernet network, and the other network may be a FDDI (Fiber-Distributed Data Interface) ring.

  A communication network may carry a wide range of data. For example, the network may communicate bulk file transfers with interactive real-time conversation data. Data transmitted over a network is often transmitted in packets, cells or frames. Alternatively, the data may be sent as a stream. In some cases, the stream or flow of data may be an actual sequence of packets. A network such as the Internet provides a general data path between a series of nodes and conveys a lot of data with different requirements.

  Communication over a network typically includes multiple levels of communication protocols. A protocol stack (also called a networking stack or protocol suite) refers to a collection of protocols used for communication. Each protocol may specialize in a specific type of function or a specific type of communication. For example, one protocol may relate to electrical signals required to communicate with devices connected by a conductor. For example, other protocols may handle ordered reliable transmissions between two nodes separated by many intermediate nodes.

  Typically, the protocols in the protocol stack exist in a hierarchy. Often protocols are grouped into layers. One reference model of the protocol layer is an OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model. The OSI reference model includes seven layers (physical layer, data link layer, network layer, transport layer, session layer, presentation layer, and application layer). The physical layer is the “lowest” layer, and the application layer is the “highest” layer. Two well-known transport layer protocols are TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) and UDP (User Datagram Protocol). A well-known network layer protocol is IP (Internet Protocol).

  At the sending node, the transmitted data is conveyed down the protocol stack layer from highest to lowest. Conversely, at the receiving node, data is passed up the layers from lowest to highest. At each layer, data may be handled by that layer's protocol processing communications. For example, the transport layer protocol may add a header to the data that enables packet reordering when it reaches the destination node. Depending on the application, certain layers may or may not be used, and data may simply pass through.

  One type of communication network is a tactical data network. A tactical data network may also be referred to as a tactical communication network. A tactical data network may be utilized by units within an organization such as the military (eg, army, navy and / or air force). For example, nodes in a tactical data network may include individual soldiers, aircraft, command units, satellites, and / or radios. A tactical data network may be used to communicate data such as voice, position measurement data, sensor data, and / or real-time video.

  An example of how a tactical data network can be used is as follows. Logistics units may be in the route to provide supplies to battlefield combat units. Logistics units and combat units may provide position data to command centers over satellite radio links. An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) patrols a road where troops are present, and may also transmit real-time video data to the command post via a satellite radio link. At the command post, the analyst may examine the video data while the controller is working with the UAV to provide a video of a particular part of the road. The analyst finds an explosive device (IED) approaching the unit, sends a command to stop the unit over the direct radio link, and alerts the unit to the presence of the IED.

  The various networks that can exist within a tactical data network can have many different architectures and characteristics. For example, a command unit network may include a gigabit Ethernet local area network (LAN) along with a radio link to the satellite, and a work unit may operate with significantly lower throughput and higher latency. Working units may communicate via satellite and direct path radio frequency (RF). Data may be transmitted point-to-point, multicast, or broadcast depending on the nature of the data and / or specific physical characteristics of the network. For example, the network may include a radio set to relay data. Further, the network may include a high frequency (HF) network that enables long-range communication. For example, a microwave network may also be used. For other reasons, due to the diversity of link and node types, tactical networks often have overly complex network addressing schemes and routing tables. In addition, some networks, such as wireless networks, may operate using bursts. That is, instead of continuously transmitting data, a periodic burst of data is transmitted. This is useful because the radio is broadcasting on a specific channel shared by participants and only one radio may transmit at a time.

  Tactical data networks are generally limited in bandwidth. That is, more data than the available bandwidth is generally communicated at any given time. For example, these constraints may be due to demand for bandwidth that exceeds supply and / or may be due to available communication technologies that do not provide sufficient bandwidth to meet user demand. For example, between certain nodes, the bandwidth can be in units of kilobits / second. In bandwidth-constrained tactical data networks, less important data can clog the network, preventing more important data from passing on time, or not reaching the receiving node at all. Furthermore, part of the network may include an internal buffer to compensate for unreliable links. This can cause further delay. In addition, data may be discarded when the buffer is full.

  In many cases, the bandwidth available to the network cannot be increased. For example, the bandwidth that can be used in a satellite communication link is fixed and cannot be effectively increased without arranging other satellites. In these cases, bandwidth must be managed, not simply expanded to meet demand. In large systems, network bandwidth is an important resource. It is desirable for applications to use bandwidth as efficiently as possible. In addition, it is desirable to avoid applications “clogging the pipe”. That is, it is desirable to avoid overwhelming the link with data when the bandwidth is limited. As the bandwidth allocation changes, the application should preferably react. Bandwidth can change dynamically due to, for example, quality of service, jamming, signal impairment, priority reassignment, and viewing direction. The network can be quite unstable and the available bandwidth can change rapidly without notice.

  In addition to bandwidth constraints, tactical data networks can experience high latency. For example, a network involved in communication on a satellite link can cause latency on the order of 0.5 seconds or more. In some communications this may not be a problem, but in other cases (real time, interactive communications (eg, voice communications), etc.) it is highly desirable to minimize latency as much as possible.

  Another characteristic common to many tactical data networks is data loss. Data can be lost for various reasons. For example, a node having data to transmit may be damaged or destroyed. As another example, the destination node may be temporarily invisible from the network. This may occur, for example, because the node has moved out of range, the communication link has been disturbed, and / or the node has been jammed. Data may be lost because the destination node cannot receive and the intermediate node lacks sufficient capacity to buffer the data until the destination node becomes available. Further, the intermediate node may not buffer the data at all, and instead leaves it to the sending node to determine whether the data has actually reached the destination.

  Often, tactical data network applications do not recognize and / or consider specific characteristics of the network. For example, the application may simply assume that it has as much bandwidth as available. As another example, an application may assume that no data is lost on the network. Applications that do not take into account the specific characteristics of the underlying communications network may actually behave to exacerbate the problem. For example, an application may continue to transmit a stream of data as if it could be effectively transmitted in large bundles less frequently. For example, a continuous stream can cause significant overhead in a broadcast wireless network that effectively lacks other nodes to communicate, while less frequent bursts make efficient use of shared bandwidth Allows to be done.

  Certain protocols do not work well with tactical data networks. For example, protocols such as TCP may not work well in wireless tactical networks due to the high loss rates and latency that such networks can face. TCP requires several types of handshaking and delivery confirmation to occur in order to send data. High latency and loss can result in TCP timing out and not being able to send a lot of important data over such networks even if present.

  Information communicated over a tactical data network often has various levels of priority over other data in the network. For example, an airplane danger warning receiver may have higher priority than ground unit location information several miles away. As another example, orders from headquarters for engagement may have higher priority than logistical communication behind a friendship line. The priority level may depend on the specific situation of the transmitter and / or receiver. For example, position measurement data can be much higher priority when a unit is actively engaged in combat than when the unit simply follows a standard circuit route. Similarly, real-time data from UAVs may have a higher priority when on the target area than when simply in the route.

  There are several ways to distribute data over a network. One approach used by many communication networks is the “best effort” approach. That is, the data to be communicated is processed as much as possible by the network in terms of capacity, latency, reliability, reordering and errors, assuming other demands. Thus, the network does not provide a guarantee that any given data will reach the destination on time or anyway. Furthermore, there is no guarantee that the data will arrive in the order it was transmitted or without transmission errors that change one or more bits of the data.

  Another approach is Quality of Service (QoS). QoS refers to one or more functions of a network that provide various types of guarantees about the data being transmitted. For example, a network that supports QoS may guarantee a certain amount of bandwidth for the data stream. As another example, the network may ensure that packets between two specific nodes have some maximum latency. Such a guarantee can be useful in the case of voice communications where the two nodes are two people having a conversation on the network. For example, delays in data distribution in such cases can cause unpleasant interruptions in communication and / or total silence.

  QoS can be viewed as a network function that provides better service to selected network traffic. The main goal of QoS is to provide a priority that includes dedicated bandwidth, controlled jitter and latency (as required by some real-time interactive traffic), and improved loss characteristics. Another important goal is to ensure that other flows do not fail by providing the priority of one flow. That is, the guarantee made for the next flow must not break the guarantee made for the existing flow.

  Current approaches to QoS often require that each node of the network support QoS, or at a minimum each node of the network involved in a particular communication supports QoS. For example, in the current system, in order to provide a guarantee of latency between two nodes, each node that communicates traffic between these two nodes recognizes and agrees to the honor, It must be possible to fulfill the guarantee.

  There are several ways to provide QoS. One approach is Integrated Services or “IntServ”. IntServ is a QoS system in which each node of a network supports services and these services are reserved when a connection is set up. IntServ is not very scalable due to the large amount of state information that must be maintained at each node and the overhead associated with setting up such a connection.

  Another approach to providing QoS is Differentiated Services or “DiffServ”. DiffServ is a type of service model that extends the best effort service of networks such as the Internet. DiffServ distinguishes traffic according to users, service requirements and other criteria. Next, DiffServ marks the packets so that network nodes can provide different levels of service through priority queues or bandwidth allocation, or by selecting a dedicated route for a particular traffic flow. Typically, a node has different queues for each class of service. The node selects the next packet to send from these queues based on the class category.

  Existing QoS measures are often network specific and each network type or architecture may require a different QoS configuration. Because of the mechanism used by existing QoS measures, messages that look similar to current QoS systems may actually have different priorities based on message content. However, data consumers may need to access high priority data without overflowing with low priority data. Existing QoS systems cannot provide QoS based on message content at the transport layer.

  As described above, existing QoS countermeasures require at least a node involved in specific communication in order to support QoS. However, nodes at the “edge” of the network may be adapted to provide some improvement to QoS even if they cannot make a comprehensive guarantee. A node is considered to be at the edge of the network if it is a participating node of communication (ie, a sending and / or receiving node) and / or located at a network chokepoint. A gateway is a part of the network that all traffic must pass through to other parts. The router or gateway from the LAN to the satellite link is the gateway. This is because all traffic from the LAN to any node not on the LAN must pass through the gateway to the satellite link.

  Accordingly, there is a need for a system and method for providing QoS in a tactical data network. There is a need for systems and methods that provide QoS at the edge of a tactical data network. Furthermore, there is a need for a configurable QoS system and method that can be adapted in a tactical data network.

  An embodiment of the present invention provides a data communication method. The method includes receiving a first data set and storing the first data set in a queue. The method also includes receiving a second data set. The method then includes determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on the redundancy rule. The redundancy rule may be controlled by the selected mode. The method then searches the queue for the first data set and determines whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on the redundancy rule. including. If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, the first data set is discarded from the queue and the second data set is added to the queue. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue.

  Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a computer-readable medium having a set of instructions for execution on a processing device. The set of instructions includes a receive routine that receives a first data set and a second data set. The set of instructions also includes a storage routine that stores the first data set in a queue. The set of instructions also includes a decision routine that determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on the redundancy rules. The redundancy rule is controlled by the selected mode. The set of instructions also searches the queue for the first data set and determines whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on redundancy rules. including. If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, discard the first data set from the queue and add the second data set to the queue.

  Particular embodiments of the present invention include a data communication method. The method includes receiving a first data set and receiving a second data set. The method also includes examining the selected mode and determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set. The selected mode has a set of redundancy rules that determine whether to perform functional redundancy processing. The method also includes performing functional redundancy processing by determining whether the second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set. The second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set according to a set of redundancy rules. If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, discard the first data set from the queue and add the second data set to the queue.

Tactical communication network environment operating in an embodiment of the present invention Location of data communication system in 7-layer OSI network model according to an embodiment of the present invention Examples of multiple networks facilitated using a data communication system according to embodiments of the present invention Data communication environment operating in an embodiment of the present invention Data communication environment operating in an embodiment of the present invention Flowchart according to an embodiment of the invention Flowchart according to an embodiment of the invention Method according to an embodiment of the invention Method according to an embodiment of the invention

  The foregoing summary and the following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention will be better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the invention, certain embodiments are shown in the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the configurations and means shown in the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 illustrates a tactical communication network environment 100 that operates in an embodiment of the present invention. The network environment 100 includes a plurality of communication nodes 110, one or more networks 120, one or more links 130 connecting the nodes and networks, and one or more that facilitate communication in the components of the network environment 100. Communication system 150. The following description assumes a network environment 100 that includes more than one network 120 and more than one link 130, but it will be appreciated that other environments are possible and envisioned.

  For example, the communication node 110 may be and / or include a radio, transmitter, satellite, receiver, workstation, server, and / or other computing or processing device.

  For example, the network 120 may be hardware and / or software that transmits data between the nodes 110. For example, the network 120 may include one or more nodes 110.

  Link 130 may be a wired and / or wireless connection that allows transmission between node 110 and / or network 120.

  For example, the communication system 150 may include software, firmware, and / or hardware used to facilitate data transmission between the node 110, the network 120, and the link. As shown in FIG. 1, the communication system 150 may be implemented with respect to the node 110, the network 120 and / or the link 130. In particular embodiments, each node 110 includes a communication system 150. In particular embodiments, one or more nodes 110 include a communication system 150. In certain embodiments, one or more nodes 110 may not include the communication system 150.

  The communication system 150 provides dynamic management of data that is useful for ensuring communication over a tactical communication network (such as the network environment 100). As shown in FIG. 2, in certain embodiments, the system 150 operates as part of and / or above the transport layer in the OSI seven-layer protocol model. For example, the system 150 may prioritize high priority data passed to the transport layer in the tactical network. System 150 may be used to facilitate communication over a single network (such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN)) or through multiple networks. An example of a multiple network system is shown in FIG. For example, system 150 may be used to manage available bandwidth rather than adding additional bandwidth to the network.

  In particular embodiments, system 150 is a software system, but in various embodiments, system 150 may include both hardware and software components. For example, the system 150 may be independent of network hardware. That is, the system 150 may be adapted to function on various hardware and software platforms. In certain embodiments, the system 150 operates at the edge of the network rather than a node inside the network. However, the system 150 may operate similarly within a network, such as a “choke point” of the network.

  The system 150 may use rules and modes or profiles to perform throughput management functions such as optimizing available bandwidth, setting information priorities, and managing data links in the network. For example, bandwidth usage optimization may include removing functionally redundant messages, message stream management or ordering, and message compression. Bandwidth “optimization” means that the techniques described herein can be used to increase the efficiency of bandwidth usage for communicating data in one or more networks. For example, setting information priority may include distinguishing message formats with finer granularity than Internet Protocol (IP) type technology, and ordering messages into a data stream via a selected rule-type ordering algorithm. . For example, data link management may include rule-type analysis of network measurements that affect changes in rules, modes and / or data transfer. A mode or profile may include a set of rules regarding the operational needs of a particular network health condition or situation. The system 150 includes defining and switching to a new mode while in progress, and provides a dynamic “on-the-fly” reconfiguration of modes.

  The communication system 150 may be configured to adapt to changing priorities and grades of service, for example in networks with unstable bandwidth constraints. The system 150 may be configured to manage improved data flow information to help increase network responsiveness and reduce communication latency. Further, the system 150 may provide interoperability through a flexible architecture that is upgradeable and scalable to improve communication availability, survivability, and reliability. For example, the system 150 supports a data communication architecture that can be autonomously adaptable to a dynamically changing environment while using predetermined and predictable system resources and bandwidth.

  In certain embodiments, the system 150 provides throughput management for bandwidth-constrained tactical communication networks while remaining transparent to applications using the network. System 150 provides throughput management across multiple users and environments with reduced complexity to the network. As described above, in certain embodiments, the system 150 operates host nodes at and / or above the OSI seven-layer model Layer 4 (Transport Layer) and requires dedicated network hardware. do not do. System 150 may operate transparent to the layer 4 interface. That is, the application does not have to recognize the operation of the system 150 using a standard interface for the transport layer. For example, when an application opens a socket, the system 150 may filter data at this point in the protocol stack. The system 150 achieves transparency by allowing applications to use a TCP / IP socket interface provided by, for example, the operating system of the communication device on the network, rather than an interface specific to the system 150. For example, the rules of the system 150 may be written in extensible markup language (XML) and / or provided via a custom dynamic link library (DLL).

  In particular embodiments, system 150 provides quality of service (QoS) at the edge of the network. For example, the system QoS feature provides content-based rule-based data prioritization at the edge of the network. For example, prioritization may include distinction and / or ordering. For example, the system 150 may differentiate messages into queues based on user configurable differentiation rules. Messages may be ordered into the data stream in the order described by the user-configured ordering rules (eg, starvation, round robin, relative frequency, etc.). For example, a data message that cannot be distinguished by a normal QoS technique using QoS at the edge may be distinguished based on the message content. For example, the rules may be implemented in XML. In certain embodiments, for example, system 150 allows a dynamic link library to include custom code to accommodate features beyond XML and / or to support very low latency requirements.

  Network inbound and / or outbound data may be customized via the system 150. For example, prioritization protects client applications from large amounts of low priority data. The system 150 helps ensure that the application receives data that supports a particular operating scenario or constraint.

  In certain embodiments, when a host is connected to a LAN that includes a router as an interface to a bandwidth-constrained tactical network, the system may operate in a configuration known as proxy QoS. In this configuration, a packet destined for the local LAN bypasses the system and immediately proceeds to the LAN. The system applies QoS at the edge of the network to packets destined for bandwidth-constrained tactical networks.

  In particular embodiments, system 150 provides dynamic support for multiple operating scenarios and / or network environments via commanded profile switching. The profile may include a name or other identifier that allows the user or system to change to the named profile. For example, a profile can also be a functional redundancy rule identifier, a differentiation rule identifier, an archival interface identifier, an ordering rule identifier, a pre-send interface identifier, a post-send interface identifier, a transport identifier, and / or other identifiers. One or more identifiers may be included. For example, a functional redundancy rule identifier specifies a rule that detects functional redundancy, such as data staleness or substantially similar data. For example, the distinction rule identifier specifies a rule that distinguishes between queues that process messages. For example, the archival interface identifier specifies an interface to the archival system. The ordering rule identifier specifies the ordering algorithm that controls the samples at the front of the queue, and thus specifies the ordering of the data in the data stream. For example, the pre-transmission interface identifier specifies an interface for pre-transmission processing that provides special processing such as encryption and compression. For example, the post-transmission interface identifier specifies an interface for post-transmission processing that provides processing such as decoding and decompression. The transport identifier specifies the network interface of the selected transport.

  For example, the profile may also include other information such as queue size information. For example, the queue size information identifies the number of queues and the amount of secondary storage and memory dedicated to each queue.

  In certain embodiments, system 150 provides a rule-based approach to optimize bandwidth. For example, the system 150 may use queue selection rules to distinguish messages into message queues, so that messages may be assigned a priority of the data stream and an appropriate relative frequency. System 150 may use functional redundancy rules to manage functionally redundant messages. For example, a message is functionally redundant if it does not differ sufficiently (as defined by the rules) from a previous message that has not yet been sent on the network. That is, if a new message is provided that is not sufficiently different from an old message that has already been scheduled to be transmitted, but has not yet been transmitted, the new message may be discarded. This is because older messages carry functionally equivalent information and are in front of the queue. Moreover, much of the functional redundancy actually includes duplicate messages and new messages that arrive before old messages are sent. For example, a node may receive an identical copy of a particular message, such as a message sent by two different paths for fault tolerance reasons due to the characteristics of the underlying network. As another example, a new message may include data that replaces an old message that has not yet been sent. In this state, the system 150 may discard old messages and send only new messages. The system 150 may also include priority ordering rules that determine the priority type message sequence of the data stream. Further, the system 150 may include transmission processing rules that provide processing dedicated to pre-transmission and post-transmission, such as compression and / or encryption.

  In certain embodiments, the system 150 provides fault tolerance capabilities to help protect data integrity and reliability. For example, the system 150 may use user-defined queue selection rules to differentiate messages into queues. For example, the queue is sized according to a user-defined configuration. For example, this configuration specifies the maximum amount of memory that the queue can consume. Furthermore, this configuration may allow the user to specify the location and amount of secondary storage that can be used for queue overflow. After the queue memory is full, the message may be queued in the secondary storage device. When the secondary storage is also full, the system 150 may remove the oldest message in the queue, log an error message, and queue the latest message. If archiving is possible in the operational mode, a message that dequeues may be archived with an indicator that the message is not being sent over the network.

  For example, the queue memory and secondary storage of the system 150 may be configured on a per-link basis for a particular application. The long time between periods of network availability can correspond to many memories and secondary storage devices that support network failures. For example, it helps to ensure that the queue is properly sized, and the time between failures is sufficient to help achieve steady state and to help avoid eventual queue overflow To help ensure sizing, system 150 may be integrated with network modeling and simulation applications to help ensure that.

  Further, in certain embodiments, the system 150 provides the ability to measure (adjust) inbound (“shaping”) data and outbound (“policy processing”) data. Policy processing and shaping functions help to address network timing discrepancies. The shaping process helps to avoid flooding the network buffer with high priority data queued after low priority data. Policy processing helps to prevent data consumers from overflowing with low priority data. Policy processing and shaping processing are governed by two parameters (effective link speed and link ratio). For example, the system 150 may form a data stream that is not greater than the effective link rate multiplied by the link ratio. The parameters may be changed dynamically as the network changes. The system may also provide access to detected link speeds and support application level decisions in data measurements. The information provided by the system 150 may be combined with other network operational information that helps determine what link speed is appropriate for a given network scenario.

  FIG. 4 illustrates a data communication environment 400 operating with an embodiment of the present invention. The environment 400 includes a data communication system 410, one or more source nodes 420, and one or more destination nodes 430. Data communication system 410 is in communication with source node 420 and destination node 430. For example, the data communication system 410 may communicate with the source node 420 and / or the destination node 430 over links such as wired, wireless, satellite, network links, and / or through interprocess communication. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 may communicate with one or more source nodes 420 and / or destination nodes 430 over one or more tactical data networks. The components of system 400 may be a single unit, separate units, integrated in various forms, and implemented in hardware and / or software.

  For example, the data communication system 410 may be the same as the communication system 150 described above. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 is adapted to receive data from one or more source nodes 420. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 may include a memory unit and / or database that stores computer instructions and rules. The data communication system 410 may also include a processor that processes data, rules, and instructions. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 may include one or more queues that store, configure, and / or prioritize data. Alternatively, other data structures that store, organize and / or prioritize data may be used. For example, a table, tree or linked list may be used. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 is adapted to communicate data to one or more destination nodes 430.

  In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 is transparent to other applications. For example, the processing, configuration and / or prioritization performed by the data communication system 410 may be transparent to one or more source nodes 420 or other applications or data sources. For example, an application running on the same system as the data communication system 410 or a source node 420 connected to the data communication system 410 may not be aware of the data prioritization performed by the data communication system 410.

  For example, the components, elements and / or functions of the data communication system 410 may be implemented alone or in various forms of hardware, firmware combinations and / or as a set of software instructions. Particular embodiments may be provided as a set of instructions residing on a computer readable medium (memory, hard disk, DVD or CD, etc.) executing on a general purpose computer or other processing device.

  Source node 420 may include a sensor or measurement device that collects data or telemetry information. For example, the source node 420 may be a GPS (Global Positional System) sensor that indicates position data of a mobile vehicle (such as a tank, a humvee unit, a personal transport vehicle, or an individual soldier). In another example, the source node 420 may be a shooting unit such as a video or still camera that acquires video or images. In another example, the source node may be a communication module such as a radio or a microphone. Destination node 430 may be any device or system that is interested in the data obtained by source node 420. For example, destination node 430 may be a receiver, central computer system, and / or computer utilized by a command post or reconnaissance unit.

  Data received, stored, prioritized, processed, communicated, and / or transmitted by data communication system 410 may include blocks of data. For example, the block of data may be a packet, cell, frame, and / or stream. For example, the data communication system 410 may receive a packet of data from the source node 420. As another example, data communication system 410 may process a stream of data from source node 420.

  In certain embodiments, the data includes protocol information. For example, protocol information may be used by one or more protocols to communicate data. For example, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, and / or a protocol type. For example, the source and / or destination address may be the IP address of the source node 420 and / or the destination node 430. The protocol format may include the type of protocol used for one or more layers of data communication. For example, the protocol format may be a transport protocol such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol), or SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol). As another example, the protocol format is IP (Internet Protocol), IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange), Ethernet (registered trademark), ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and / or RTP (Real-time). Transport Protocol) may be included. In certain embodiments, the data may also include time stamp information. For example, the time stamp information may indicate a data acquisition time by the source node 420.

  In certain embodiments, the data includes a header and a payload. For example, the header may include part or all of protocol information and time stamp information. In particular embodiments, some or all of the protocol information and time stamp information is included in the payload. For example, the protocol information may include information regarding high level protocols stored in the payload portion of the block of data. In certain embodiments, the data is not continuous in memory. That is, one or more portions of data may be placed in different areas of the memory. For example, the protocol information may be stored in one area of the memory, the payload may be stored in another buffer, and the time stamp information may be stored in another buffer.

  In an embodiment, source node 420 and data communication system 410 may be part of the same mobile unit. The mobile unit may be a tank, a humby unit, a personal transport vehicle, or an individual soldier, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or other mobile unit. The tank may have a GPS sensor that indicates position data as the source unit 420. The location data may be communicated to the data communication system 410. Data communication system 410 may be located in a tank. The data communication system 410 may prepare data to be communicated to the destination node 430. As part of preparing for communication to the destination node, the data communication system 410 may implement some form of network access protocol. The network access protocol may include requesting network access from the control unit, detecting carrier availability, or other types of access control.

  In one example, the network that the data communication system 410 is trying to gain access to may be bandwidth limited. Further, one or more links may be unreliable and / or may be disconnected continuously. Accordingly, the data communication system 410 may temporarily queue data received from the source 420 until the data communication system 410 can access the network and communicate data to the destination 430. For example, the source 420 may obtain a first data set. Source 420 may communicate the first data set to data communication system 410. The data communication system 410 may not currently have network access to send the first data set to the destination 430. The first data set may be temporarily queued until the data communication system 410 has network access. In the meantime, the source may obtain a second data set. The second data set may be communicated to the data communication system 410. The data communication system 410 may not yet have network access to send the first data set or the second data set to the destination 430. If the data is in a format that involves the timing of the data (eg, recent data (eg, location data, etc.) is related to the destination 430), the first data set is no longer relevant. In other words, the first data set is functionally redundant considering the second data set. Accordingly, transmission of the first data set to the destination 430 can consume network bandwidth unnecessarily.

  In other examples, the source may obtain a first data set and communicate the first data set to the data communication system 410. The data communication system 410 may or may not currently have network access to send the first data set to the destination 430. If the data communication system 410 has access to the network, the data communication system 410 may send the first data set to the destination 430. Source 420 may obtain a second data set. The data communication system 410 may or may not currently have network access to send the second data set to the destination 430. If the data communication system 410 has access to the network, the data communication system 410 may send the second data set to the destination 430. If the data is in a format that changes by a relatively small amount between successive acquisitions depending on the acquisition time (for example, photos taken every second from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from 5000 feet above the ground), continuous data The set may be functionally redundant. In other words, there is a possibility that the same image is mainly acquired. Accordingly, transmission of successive data sets to destination 430 can unnecessarily consume network bandwidth.

  In other examples, the source may obtain a first data set and communicate the first data set to the data communication system 410. The data communication system 410 may or may not currently have network access to send the first data set to the destination 430. If the data communication system 410 has access to the network, the data communication system 410 may send the first data set to the destination 430. Source 420 may obtain a second data set. The data communication system 410 may or may not currently have network access to send the second data set to the destination 430. If the data communication system 410 has access to the network, the data communication system 410 may send the second data set to the destination 430. If the content of the first data set is the same as and / or similar to the content of the second data set (such as a lack of an audio component of a data set that is supposed to have an audio component), then the continuous data set is It may be functionally redundant. Accordingly, transmission of successive data sets to destination 430 can unnecessarily consume network bandwidth.

  FIG. 5 illustrates a data communication environment 500 operating with an embodiment of the present invention. The environment 500 includes the data communication system 410, the source 420, and the destination 430 shown in FIG. Data communication system 410 has been expanded and detailed to illustrate a particular embodiment of the present invention.

  The data communication system 410 shown in FIG. 5 includes a redundancy rule database 510, a receiver 520, an operational processor 530, one or more queues 540, and a transmitter 550. The redundancy rule database 510 communicates with the motion processor 530. Receiver 520 communicates with motion processor 530 and source 420. The motion processor 530 communicates with the queue 540. For example, the data communication system 410 shown in FIG. 5 may communicate with the source node 420 and / or the destination node 430 over links such as wired, wireless, satellite, network links, and / or through interprocess communication. In certain embodiments, the data communication system 410 may communicate with one or more source nodes 420 and / or destination nodes 430 over one or more tactical data networks. The components of system 500, system 500 connections and system 500 may be a single unit, separate units, integrated in various forms, and implemented in hardware and / or software. .

  In an embodiment, redundancy rule database 510 may be a database that stores various rules and / or protocols and communicates to operational processor 530. The redundancy rule database 510 and the connections shown between the redundancy rule database 510 and the action processor 530 represent various components and / or software that perform actions and store rules and instructions. Receiver 520 represents various components and / or software that receive data from source 420. The operation processor 530 represents a processor that processes data based on the rules communicated by the redundancy rule database 510 to perform operations. Queue 540 represents various components and / or software that queue data. Transmitter 550 represents various components and / or software that transmits data to destination 430.

  As described above, data received, stored, prioritized, processed, communicated, and / or transmitted by the data communication system 410 may include blocks of data. For example, the block of data may be a packet, cell, frame, and / or stream. For example, the receiver 520 is shown as having a block of data. A data set may include a single block of data or a plurality of blocks of data.

  In certain embodiments, the data includes protocol information. For example, protocol information may be used by one or more protocols to communicate data. For example, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, and / or a protocol type. For example, the source and / or destination address may be the IP address of the source node 420 and / or the destination node 430. The protocol format may include the type of protocol used for one or more layers of data communication. For example, the protocol format may be a transport protocol such as TCP (Transmission Control Protocol), UDP (User Datagram Protocol), or SCTP (Stream Control Transmission Protocol). As another example, the protocol format is IP (Internet Protocol), IPX (Internetwork Packet Exchange), Ethernet (registered trademark), ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), FTP (File Transfer Protocol), and / or RTP (Real-time). Transport Protocol) may be included. In certain embodiments, the data may also include time stamp information. For example, the time stamp information may indicate a data acquisition time by the source node 420.

  In certain embodiments, the data includes a header and a payload. For example, the header may include part or all of protocol information and time stamp information. In particular embodiments, some or all of the protocol information and time stamp information is included in the payload. For example, the protocol information may include information regarding high level protocols stored in the payload portion of the block of data. In certain embodiments, the data is not continuous in memory. That is, one or more portions of data may be placed in different areas of the memory. For example, the protocol information may be stored in one area of the memory, the payload may be stored in another buffer, and the time stamp information may be stored in another buffer.

  During operation, the data set may be provided and / or generated by one or more data sources 420. The data set is received at receiver 520. For example, the data set may be received on one or more links. For example, the data set may be received by the data communication system 410 from a radio over a tactical data network. As another example, the data set may be provided to the data communication system 410 by an application running on the same system with an inter-process communication mechanism. As described above, for example, a data set may include a single block of data or a plurality of blocks of data.

  In certain embodiments, receiver 520 may communicate the data set to operational processor 530. The operational processor 530 may receive the data set and determine whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the data set. The motion processor 530 may determine whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the data set based on the redundancy rules from the redundancy rule database 510.

  In an embodiment, the redundancy rule controls whether or not functional redundancy processing is performed on a particular data set, and how functional redundancy processing is performed when functional redundancy processing is performed. It may be a rule to do. The mode selected by the user or the mode selected by the computer software based on various factors may define a “set” of redundancy rules applicable to the data set.

  For example, the redundancy rule may be set as “on” or “off” based on the “mode” selected by the user. As described above, the data communication system 410 can use rules and modes or profiles to perform throughput management functions such as optimizing available bandwidth, setting information priorities, and managing data links in the network. May be used. For example, different modes may affect changes in rules, modes, and / or data transfer. A mode or profile may include a set of rules regarding operational needs for a particular network health condition or situation. For example, the data communication system 410 may provide for dynamic reconfiguration of modes, including defining and switching to a new mode “in progress”.

  If the selected mode utilizes a set of redundancy rules, the motion processor 530 may analyze the data set and determine whether to perform functional redundancy processing based on the redundancy rules. In an embodiment, the available modes may have different redundancy rules. For example, mode A may have a first set of redundancy rules, and mode B may have a second set of redundancy rules. A set of redundancy rules may belong to a single mode or may belong to multiple modes. A mode may include more than one set of redundancy rules.

  In determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing, the operational processor 530 may read information (such as protocol information, payload, and / or time stamp of the data block) from the data block. For example, as described above, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, a protocol type, and / or a time stamp. For example, if the redundancy rule of the redundancy rule database 510 in the selected mode indicates that functional redundancy should be performed on data from a particular source, then the operational processor 530 may Perform functional redundancy processing on the data. For example, the redundancy rule for the selected mode may indicate that functional redundancy processing is performed on data from source node A rather than data from source node B. Thus, in this example, functional redundancy processing is not performed on data from source node B.

  If operational processor 530 determines that functional redundancy processing should be performed on the data set, operational processor 530 may perform functional redundancy processing on the data set according to the redundancy rules. The redundancy rule may be determined by the selected mode. For example, the redundancy rule may indicate that the motion processor 530 searches the queue 540 for a data set originating from the same source as the current data set. The redundancy rule may indicate that if an old data set from a particular source is found in the queue, the old data set is functionally redundant with respect to the current new data set. Alternatively, the redundancy rule may indicate that the operational processor 530 searches the queue 540 for a data set originating from the same source as the current data set. The redundancy rule checks the time stamp information of the queued dataset and the current dataset to determine whether the queued dataset and the current dataset contain functionally redundant information. The operating processor may be instructed. In another alternative, the redundancy rule checks the payload information and determines whether the queued data set and the current data set have similar and / or the same functional content (and therefore functionally redundant). The operating processor may be instructed to determine whether or not.

  For example, if the first data set and the second data set are obtained from the same source, the redundancy rule would make the first previous data set functionally redundant with respect to the second subsequent data set. May be specified as In another example, if the first data set and the second data set are acquired in less than a predetermined time period between the first data set and the second data set, the redundancy rule is: The previous data set may be identified as being functionally redundant with respect to the second subsequent data set. As another example, if the first data set and the second data set are functionally similar and / or have the same content (eg, lack of audio component of a data set that is supposed to have an audio component), The redundancy rule may specify that the second subsequent data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first previous data set.

  An example of data that can be classified as functionally redundant may be location data. For example, the source 420 (eg, GPS indicator) may generate a first data set to report the position of the humby at a particular time. Due to network constraints, the first data set may be stored in the queue 540. Since the humby may be on the move, the source 420 may generate a second data set to report a different location than the first data set. When motion processor 530 receives the second data set, motion processor 530 may determine that the selected mode utilizes functional redundancy for position data from source 420.

  The operational processor 530 may search the queue 540 and determine whether a data set from the source 420 is stored in the queue 540. If a data set from source 420 is found, motion processor 530 may determine that the first data set of location data is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set of location data. Since the first data set of position data acquired at the previous time is not currently more accurate than the second data set of position data acquired at the later time, the motion processor 530 The first data set may be discarded from the queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add a second data set of location data to the queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 so that the transmission order of the queue 540 does not change. For example, the second data set may be replaced with the first data set at the cue position. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 with a first-in first-out protocol. In this way, recent location data is sent to the destination 430 without burdening the network with “old” location data that is no longer accurate or relevant.

  Another example of data that can be classified as functionally redundant may be a continuous data set acquired in a short period of time. For example, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is flying 500 feet and may take one photo per second. Since UAVs are flying relatively slowly, the photos taken by UAV are virtually different from each other. Since continuous photos taken in a short period of time may not show new information, they may be functionally redundant. Sending functionally redundant photos can consume valuable bandwidth unnecessarily.

  In the example provided for better understanding, the UAV obtains the first photo (first data in this example) from the camera (source 420 in this example) and receives the first photo in the receiver. 520 may be communicated. The receiver 520 may communicate the first photo to the motion processor 530. The motion processor 530 may communicate the first photo to the queue 540. The first photo may wait in the queue 540 until the transmitter 550 has network access. In a particular embodiment, before the second photo (second data set in this example) from the camera (source 420 in this example) is communicated to motion processor 530, transmitter 550 may have network access. It does not have to be present, and network access may not be required.

  When the operational processor 530 receives the second data set, the operational processor 530 determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set. As described above, the motion processor 530 may read information (such as data block protocol information, payload, and / or timestamp) from the data block. For example, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, a protocol type, and / or a time stamp. When motion processor 530 receives the second data set, motion processor 530 determines that the selected mode utilizes functional redundancy for data from source 420 (UAV's camera in this example) according to the redundancy rules. May be. For example, the redundancy rule may specify that data sets that are separated by a time threshold are transmitted from the source 420 to the destination 430.

  The operational processor 530 may search the queue 540 and determine whether a data set from the source 420 is stored in the queue 540. If a data set from source 420 is found, motion processor 530 may examine the time stamp of the first data set and the time stamp of the second data set. The motion processor 530 may determine that the difference in acquisition time between the first data set identified by the time stamp and the second data set is less than a particular time threshold. If the difference in acquisition time between the first data set and the second data set is less than a certain time threshold, the motion processor 540 is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set. You may decide that. The time threshold value may be determined by the selected mode.

  In an embodiment, since the first data set acquired earlier in time is less relevant at this time than the second data set acquired later in time (second photo), the motion processor 530 may The first data set (first photo) from 540 may be discarded. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set (second photo) to the queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 so that the transmission order of the queue 540 does not change. For example, the second data set may be replaced with the first data set at the cue position. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 with a first-in first-out protocol.

  Another example of data that can be classified as functionally redundant may be a data set having the same or similar content. If the content of the first data set is the same as and / or similar to the content of the second data set (such as a lack of an audio component of a data set that is supposed to have an audio component), then the continuous data set is Could be functionally redundant. For example, a data set that is assumed to include audio data that does not include audio data may indicate that the data set is transmitting radio silence. Since the radio wave silence time is not useful information for the destination 430, transmitting a data set including the radio wave silence time can consume the bandwidth unnecessarily. Thus, for a data set that assumes an audio component, a continuous data set that contains little or no audio component can be functionally redundant.

  In the example provided for better understanding, the radio or microphone (source 420 in this example) may obtain the first data set and communicate the first data set to the receiver 520. . Receiver 520 may communicate the first data set to motion processor 530. The operational processor 530 may communicate the first data set to the queue 540. The first data set may wait in queue 540 until transmitter 550 has network access. In certain embodiments, before the second data set is communicated from source 420 to operational processor 530, transmitter 550 may not have network access and may not request network access.

  When the operational processor 530 receives the second data set, the operational processor 530 determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set. As described above, the motion processor 530 may read information (such as data block protocol information, payload, and / or timestamp) from the data block. For example, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, a protocol type, and / or a time stamp. When the motion processor 530 receives the second data set, the motion processor 530 determines that the selected mode will utilize functional redundancy for data from the source 420 (wireless microphone in this example) according to the redundancy rules. May be. For example, the redundancy rule may specify that an audio component is present in the data payload from the source 420.

  The operational processor 530 may search the queue 540 and determine whether a data set from the source 420 is stored in the queue 540. Once the data set from source 420 is found, motion processor 530 may examine the payload of the first data set at the expected location of the audio component. The motion processor 530 may also examine the payload of the second data set at the expected location of the audio component. The motion processor 530 may determine that the first data set does not include an audio component and the second data set does not include an audio component. If both the first data set and the second data set do not have an audio component and both data sets are assumed to have an audio component, transmitting the first and second data sets is Do not communicate useful information to the transmitter. Accordingly, the motion processor 540 determines that the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set or the second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set. May be determined.

  In an embodiment, motion processor 530 may discard the previous first data set from queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 so that the transmission order of the queue 540 does not change. For example, the second data set may be replaced with the first data set at the cue position. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 with a first-in first-out protocol.

  In other embodiments, motion processor 530 may discard the subsequent second data set and leave the first data set in queue 540. In an embodiment, discarding the second data set may be more efficient than the motion processor 530 adding the second data set to the queue and discarding the first data set. In embodiments where the first data set and the second data set generally include similar and / or the same content, the system 500 selects the first data set or the second data set for transmission. In general, it may be indifferent. If the other factors are substantially equal, operational processor 530 may operate efficiently to send the first data set for the specific data and delete the second data set.

  The above example of functional redundancy is just an example. Redundancy rules may be made to define redundant data based on source, time, payload, or other factors. Redundancy rules may be applicable to single mode or multiple modes. A mode may use a single set of redundancy rules or a plurality of sets of redundancy rules.

  FIG. 6 shows a flowchart 600 of motion processor 530 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step 610, a first data set is received and stored in queue 540. A second data set is received and communicated to motion processor 530. Data communication system 410 is in a mode that utilizes functional redundancy for data from source 420. The second data set is operated by operation processor 530. The action by action processor 530 includes determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on the redundancy rules from redundancy rule database 510 defined by the selected mode. But you can. For example, the motion processor 530 may read information (such as protocol information, payload, and / or time stamp of the data set) from the second data set. For example, as described above, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, a protocol type, and / or a time stamp. For example, if the redundancy rule in redundancy rule database 510 for the selected mode indicates that functional redundancy is to be performed for the current data set, the operational processor performs functional redundancy processing.

  If the redundancy rule indicates that functional redundancy processing should be performed, the flowchart illustrating the function of the motion processor 530 moves to step 620. If the functional redundancy rule indicates that functional redundancy processing should not be performed, the operational processor 530 (flow chart) moves to step 640 and adds the second data to the queue 540. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. When the second data set is added to queue 540, the second data set waits for transmission to destination 430.

  In step 620, the motion processor 530 searches the queue 540 according to the redundancy rule. In an embodiment, motion processor 530 searches queue 540 for a first data set that is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set. As described above, the motion processor determines whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on the rules of the redundancy rule database 510 indicated by the selected mode. decide. As an example, operational processor 530 may determine that a first data set is functionally redundant with respect to a second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source. Good. As another example, the motion processor 530 determines that the first data set is the second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source and the difference between the time stamps is not greater than a predetermined threshold. It may be determined that the data set is functionally redundant. As yet another example, the motion processor 530 may have the first data set second if the first and second data sets have common elements that may not be useful enough to send to the destination 430 multiple times. It may be determined that the data set is functionally redundant.

  In step 620, if motion processor 530 finds functionally redundant data in queue 540, motion processor 530 moves to step 630. If, at step 630, the operational processor does not find functionally redundant data in queue 540, operational processor 530 moves to step 640, adds the second data set to queue 540, and waits for transmission.

  In step 630, the motion processor 530 may discard the previous first data set from the queue 540. The motion processor 530 may add a later second data set to the queue 540. In an embodiment, motion processor 530 may add a second data set to queue 540 so that the order of transmission of queue 540 does not change. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. The motion processor 530 may add the second data set to the queue 540 with a first-in first-out protocol. The steps of flowchart 600 may be performed iteratively in order to efficiently use bandwidth.

  FIG. 7 shows a flowchart 700 of the motion processor 530 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step 710, a first data set is received and stored in queue 540. A second data set is received and communicated to motion processor 530. Data communication system 410 is in a mode that utilizes functional redundancy for data from source 420. The second data set is operated by operation processor 530. The action by action processor 530 includes determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on the redundancy rules from redundancy rule database 510 defined by the selected mode. But you can. For example, the motion processor 530 may read information (such as protocol information, payload, and / or time stamp of the data set) from the second data set. For example, as described above, the protocol information may include a source address, a destination address, a source port, a destination port, a protocol type, and / or a time stamp. For example, if the redundancy rule in redundancy rule database 510 for the selected mode indicates that functional redundancy is to be performed for the current data set, the operational processor performs functional redundancy processing.

  If the redundancy rule indicates that functional redundancy processing should be performed, the flowchart illustrating the function of the motion processor 530 moves to step 720. If the functional redundancy rule indicates that functional redundancy processing should not be performed, the operational processor 530 (flow chart) moves to step 740 and adds the second data to the queue 540. When the second data set is added to queue 540, the second data set waits for transmission to destination 430.

  In step 720, the motion processor 530 searches the queue 540 according to the redundancy rule. In an embodiment, motion processor 530 searches queue 540 for a first data set that is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set. As described above, the motion processor determines whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on the rules of the redundancy rule database 510 indicated by the selected mode. decide. As an example, operational processor 530 may determine that a first data set is functionally redundant with respect to a second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source. Good. As another example, the motion processor 530 determines that the first data set is the second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source and the difference between the time stamps is not greater than a predetermined threshold. It may be determined that the data set is functionally redundant. As yet another example, the motion processor 530 may have the first data set second if the first and second data sets have common elements that may not be useful enough to send to the destination 430 multiple times. It may be determined that the data set is functionally redundant.

  In step 720, if motion processor 530 finds functionally redundant data in queue 540, motion processor 530 moves to step 730. If, at step 730, the operational processor does not find functionally redundant data in queue 540, operational processor 530 moves to step 740, adds the second data set to queue 540, and waits for transmission.

  In step 730, motion processor 530 may discard the subsequent second data set and leave the first data set in queue 540. In an embodiment, discarding the second data set may be more efficient than the motion processor 530 adding the second data set to the queue and discarding the second data set. In embodiments where the first data set and the second data set generally include similar and / or the same content, the system 500 selects the first data set or the second data set for transmission. In general, it may be indifferent. If the other factors are substantially equal, operational processor 530 may operate efficiently to send the first data set for the specific data and delete the second data set. The steps of flowchart 700 may be performed iteratively to make efficient use of bandwidth.

  FIG. 8 illustrates a method 800 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step 810, a first data set may be received. In step 820, the first data set may be stored in a queue. In step 830, a second data set may be received. In step 840, it may be determined whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set. The determination of whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set may depend on the selected mode and the redundancy rule associated with the selected mode. The mode may be selected manually or automatically based on, for example, network conditions.

  In step 850, a queue may be searched for a data set that may be functionally redundant with respect to the second data set. Whether a data set in the queue is functionally redundant with respect to the current data set may be determined by a redundancy rule. The redundancy rule may be determined by the selected mode. As an example, a redundancy rule may indicate that a first data set is functionally redundant with respect to a second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source. As another example, the redundancy rule may be that if the first and second data sets originate from the same source and the difference between the timestamps is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the first data set is the second data set. It may indicate functional redundancy for the data set. As yet another example, the redundancy rule may be that the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set when the first and second data sets have the same and / or similar content. You may show that there is.

  In step 860, if it is determined that the second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set, the previous first data set may be discarded from the queue. In step 870, a later second data set may be added to the queue. In an embodiment, the second data set may be added to the queue such that the queue transmission order does not change. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. Alternatively, the second data set may be added to the queue with a first in first out protocol. The steps of flowchart 800 may be repeatedly performed to efficiently use bandwidth.

  For example, one or more steps of method 800 may be implemented alone or in a combination of hardware, firmware, and / or as a set of software instructions. Particular embodiments may be provided as a set of instructions residing on a computer readable medium (memory, hard disk, DVD or CD, etc.) executing on a general purpose computer or other processing device.

  Certain embodiments of the invention may omit one or more method 800 steps and / or perform the steps in a different order than the order described. For example, in certain embodiments of the present invention, some steps may not be performed. As a further example, certain steps may be performed in a different temporal order (including simultaneously) than those previously described.

  The foregoing system and method 800 may be implemented as part of a computer readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions for a computer. The set of instructions may include a receive routine that receives the first data set and the second data set. The set of instructions may also include a store routine that stores the first data set in a queue. The set of instructions may also include a decision routine that determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on redundancy rules.

  The redundancy rule may be controlled by a selection mode routine. The selection mode routine may be selected by a selection routine. The selection routine may be selected by the user or may be selected dynamically based on network conditions. The redundancy rule may include a first redundancy routine that determines whether the second data set and the first data set originate from the same source node. The redundancy rule may also include a second redundancy routine that determines a time between the time stamp of the second data set and the time stamp of the first data set. The redundancy rule may also include a third redundancy routine that determines whether there is a common element between the first data set and the second data set.

  The set of instructions may also include a search routine that searches the queue for the first data set. If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, the first data set may be discarded from the queue and the second data set added to the queue. In an embodiment, the queue location is maintained when the first data set is replaced by the second data set. In other embodiments, the second data set is added at the end of the queue. The step of adding the second data set to the queue includes a first-in first-out routine for adding the second data set to the queue with a first-in first-out protocol.

  FIG. 9 illustrates a method 900 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In step 910, a first data set may be received. In step 920, the first data set may be stored in a queue. In step 930, a second data set may be received. In step 940, it may be determined whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set. The determination of whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set may depend on the selected mode and the redundancy rule associated with the selected mode. The mode may be selected manually or automatically based on, for example, network conditions.

  In step 950, a queue may be searched for a data set that may be functionally redundant with respect to the second data set. Whether a data set in the queue is functionally redundant with respect to the current data set may be determined by a redundancy rule. The redundancy rule may be determined by the selected mode. As an example, a redundancy rule may indicate that a first data set is functionally redundant with respect to a second data set when the first and second data sets originate from the same source. As another example, the redundancy rule may be that if the first and second data sets originate from the same source and the difference between the timestamps is not greater than a predetermined threshold, the first data set is the second data set. It may indicate functional redundancy for the data set. As yet another example, a redundancy rule may cause a first data set to become a second data set when the first and second data sets have common elements that may not be useful enough to transmit multiple times. On the other hand, it may indicate functional redundancy.

  If it is determined in step 960 that the second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set, the second data set is discarded from the queue and the first data set remains in the queue. May be. In an embodiment, discarding the second data set may be more efficient than adding the second data set to the queue and discarding the second data set. In embodiments where the first data set and the second data set generally contain similar information, the first data set may be selected for transmission and the second data set may be selected. Good. If the other factors are substantially equal, it may be efficient to send the first data set for specific data and discard the second data set. The steps of flowchart 900 may be performed iteratively to make efficient use of bandwidth.

  For example, one or more steps of method 900 may be implemented alone or in a combination of hardware, firmware, and / or as a set of software instructions. Particular embodiments may be provided as a set of instructions residing on a computer readable medium (memory, hard disk, DVD or CD, etc.) executing on a general purpose computer or other processing device.

  Certain embodiments of the invention may omit one or more method 900 steps and / or perform the steps in a different order than the order described. For example, in certain embodiments of the present invention, some steps may not be performed. As a further example, certain steps may be performed in a different temporal order (including simultaneously) than those previously described.

  The foregoing system and method 900 may be implemented as part of a computer readable storage medium that includes a set of instructions for a computer. The set of instructions may include a receive routine that receives the first data set and the second data set. The set of instructions may also include a store routine that stores the first data set in a queue. The set of instructions may also include a decision routine that determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing for the second data set based on redundancy rules.

  The redundancy rule may be controlled by a selection mode routine. The selection mode routine may be selected by a selection routine. The selection routine may be selected by the user or may be selected dynamically based on network conditions. The redundancy rule may include a first redundancy routine that determines whether the second data set and the first data set originate from the same source node. The redundancy rule may also include a second redundancy routine that determines a time between the time stamp of the second data set and the time stamp of the first data set. The redundancy rule may also include a third redundancy routine that determines whether the contents of the first data set are functionally redundant with respect to the contents of the second data set.

  The set of instructions may also include a search routine that searches the queue for the first data set. The set of instructions also sends a first data set and discards the second data set if the contents of the first data set are functionally redundant with respect to the contents of the second data set. Routines may be included.

Claims (10)

Receive a first data set;
Storing the first data set in a queue;
Receive a second data set;
Determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set based on a redundancy rule, the redundancy rule being controlled by the selected mode;
Searching the queue for the first data set and determining whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on the redundancy rule;
If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, discard the first data set from the queue and add the second data set to the queue Have
The extent of the difference between the by comparison with the data contents of the first data set and data content of the second data set, data content of said data content of the first data set a second data set The first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, and the threshold is set to include non-overlapping data, based at least in part on resulting in a less than threshold Data communication method.   The method of claim 1, wherein the selected mode is selected by a user.   The method of claim 1, wherein the redundancy rule determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing based on information included in a data header of the second data set.   The redundancy rule determines that the first data set is the second data when the time between the time stamp of the second data set and the time stamp of the first data set is smaller than a predetermined period. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is determined to be functionally redundant for the set.   The method of claim 1, wherein adding the second data set to the queue comprises adding the second data set to the queue with a first-in first-out protocol. A computer readable medium having a set of instructions for execution on a processing device comprising:
The set of instructions is
A receiving routine for receiving a first data set and a second data set;
A storage routine for storing the first data set in a queue;
A decision routine for determining whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set based on a redundancy rule, the redundancy rule being a decision routine controlled by a selected mode;
A search routine that searches the queue for the first data set and determines whether the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set based on the redundancy rule; Yes, if the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, discard the first data set from the queue and add the second data set to the queue And a search routine to
The extent of the difference between the by comparison with the data contents of the first data set and data content of the second data set, data content of said data content of the first data set a second data set The first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, and the threshold is set to include non-overlapping data, based at least in part on resulting in a less than threshold Computer readable medium.   The computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the selected mode is selected by a selection mode routine, and the selection mode routine is controlled by a user. Receive a first data set;
Receive a second data set;
Inspect the selected mode and determine whether to perform functional redundancy processing on the second data set, and the selected mode determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing A set of redundancy rules to
Performing functional redundancy processing by determining whether the second data set is functionally redundant with respect to the first data set, wherein the second data set is the set Functionally redundant to the first data set according to the redundancy rule of
If the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set, discarding the first data set from the queue and adding the second data set to the queue; Have
The first data set is relative to the second data set based at least in part on the comparison between the data content of the first data set and the data content of the second data set being less than a threshold. A data communication method in which the threshold value is set so as to include non-overlapping data.   The method of claim 8, wherein the redundancy rule determines whether to perform functional redundancy processing based on a source node of the second data set.   The redundancy rule is that the first data set is functionally redundant with respect to the second data set when the second data set and the first data set originate from the same source node. The method of claim 8, wherein:

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